Tank ball, stem, and guide for water closet tanks



Feb. 5, 1952 l D. R. wlTTKE 2,584,407

TANK BALL, STEM', AND GUIDE FOR WATER CLOSET TANKS Filed Aug. 27, 1948 /f II. I /7 l IN VEN TOR.

Patented Feb. 5, 1 952 eLosE'r TANKS Dale it.y Winke, Minneapolis,- Mimi.

Aiiiiiicatii August 27, 194s, serial No. 46,493

s Claims.

My present invention relatesto water closet tanks, and more particularly, to a tank ball, stem and guide therefor.

It is well knownv that the present type of tank ball has a long upright stem that is loosely held in an upper guide and which tank ball, during the flushing of a water closet, is given a pendulum-like action as well as a circular movement about the projected axis of the seat for the tank ball as the same moves downwardly to its seat bythe action of water draining from the tank. The erratic downward movement ofthe tank ball to its seat often causes the tank ball to improperly seat, with the result that Water Steps from the filled tank, causing intermittent operi ation of the iloat to open the water intake valve and bring the water in the tank up to normal level. A v

The object of this invention is to provide a novel tank ball secured to the intermediate pori tion of a longr stem held in upper andv lower guides.

Other objects of this invention will be apparent from the following description, reference being had to the drawing.

To the above end, generally stated, the invention consists of the novel devices and combination of devices hereinafter described and defined in the claims.

In the accompanying drawing, which illustrates .a

the invention, like characters indicate like parts throughout the several views.

Referring to the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary viewl partly in elevation and partly in section, showing the invention installed in a water closet tank; and

Fig. 2 is a view partly in plan and partly in section taken on the line 2- 2 of Fig. 1.

The numeral 3 indicates a ush valve casing having a flaring upper end member II, and an externally screw-threaded member 6, the upper annular edge portion of the former aiording a seat 5 for a tank ball. This flush valve casing 3 extends through a hole 1 in the bottom member 8 of a water closet tank. Integral with the casing 3 is an external annular flange 9 above the tank bottom member 8. A washer IU on the casing 3 is interposed between thetank bottom member 8 and the ange 9 to form a Water-tight joint between said casing and bottom member 8. A nut II applied to the casing member 6 below the tank bottom member 8 impinges said bottom member and holds the washer I 0 squeezed .between the ange 9 and the tank bottom member 8.

An upright overflow pipe I2 at its lower end portion has SGlevi-thadd engagement lwith radially projetih'g' ttig I3 intgral With the Hush val-ve casing 3' at the flange 9. Ay communicating passageway` I 4 in the fitting I3 leads fromv the overilow pipe I2 tothe interior of the flush valve casing 3. An upper horizontal guide I5 is clamped onto the overflow' pipe I2l and has on its outer end upper and lower' members I5 having therein vertically axial bores Ill that are axially aligned with the tank ball s'eat. 5.

The parts thus' far-` described are common to the conventional water closet seat.

The rubber tank ball I8 Shown is Similar to the one now commonly used with the exception of the nut-acting member I9 embedded therein, which permits the` use of a oneepiece stem or a two-part stem 2U, as shown. This stem 2E? comprises an upper section 2`I and a lower section 22, the former being' identical with the stem now commonly used and at its lower end portion has screw-threaded engagement with the nutacting member I9. In the upper end portion of the upper stem section 2| is an eye 23 for the customary connections for lifting the tank ball I8 from its seat 5 to flush the water closet. This upper stem member 2| extends loosely through the bores I1 and is guided thereby. The lower section 22 of the stem 2U, at its upper end portion, extends into the tank ball I8 through the axial hole 24 in the bottom of the tank ball I8 and has screw-threaded engagement with the nut-acting member I9.

The lower stem section 22 extends loosely through an axial hole 25 in a bushing 25 that aords a lower guide for said stem member. The bushing 2E is mounted in a seat 2l on the outer end of a substantially radial arm 28. This arm 28 is integral with a at spring 29 that is a little less than a complete circle. The normal diameter of the spring 29 is somewhat larger than the internal diameter of the valve casing member B in which it is mounted. To place the spring 29 in the valve casing member 5, the same is contracted to a smaller diameter than that of the internal diameter of the valve casing member 6, placed in said member and then reieased to expand into frictional engagement with the casing member 6, and being thereby held where positioned with the bushing 26 aX- ially aligned with the bore I'I in the guide member I6 and the tank ball I8. On the upper end of the bushing 26 is an annular ange 30 that rests on the upper end of the seat 26 and thus prevents the bushing 26 from dropping through 3 said seat. Secured to the lower stem section is a weight 3 I within the tank ball I8.

The purpose of making the stem 20 ln two sections is to permit the use of the stem of an old installation, which corresponds to the upper stem section 2l shown in the drawing. In a new installation, the stem 20 may be all in one piece, in which case, screw-threads will be pressed from the intermediate portion thereof to a diameter larger than the diameter of the stem in order to permit the lower end portion thereof to be passed through the nut-acting member I9.

From what has been said, it will be understood that the invention described is capable of modications as to details of construction and arrangement within the scope of the invention herein disclosed and claimed. v

What I claim is:

1. A tank ball having? a depending stem, a bushing affording a guide for the stem, and a circular spring insertable into a ilush valve casing for yielding supporting contact with the internal wall of said casing, said spring having an inwardly projecting end portion provided at its inner end with a seat for the bushing.

2. A tank ball having a depending stem, a bushing aording a guide for the stem, and a ilat circular spring insertable into a flush valve casing for yielding supporting contact with the internal wall of said casing, said spring having an inwardly projecting end portion that allords substantially a radial arm, the inner end portion of which is rolled upon itself to aord a seat in which the bushing is mounted, said bushing having an annular flange resting on the seat.

3. The combination with a flush valve casing, of a tank ball, a nut-acting member inV the top portion of the tank ball at the axis thereof, said tank ball having in its bottom portion a large aperture axially aligned with the nut-acting member, a depending stem extending through said aperture and having at its upper end portion threaded engagement with the nut-acting member, and a weight on the stem Within the tank ball and removable with the stem from the tank ball through the aperture in said tank ball.

4. A tank ball having a depending stem, and a yieldingly compressible mount insertable into a ilush valve casing and having yielding expansible contact with the internal Wall thereof, said mount being freev and independent of the tank ball for axial adjustment in said'casing, said mount having at its axis a guide through which the stem extends for relative endwise movement with the tank ball.

5. A tank ball having a depending stem, and a yieldingly compressible mount insertable into a flush valve casing and having yielding expansible contact with the internal Wall thereof, said mount being free and independent of the tank ball for axial adjustment in said casing, said mount having at its axis a sleeve-like seat, and a guide in the form of a bushing through which the stem extends for rrelative endwise movement with the tank ball, said guide having an annular ange resting on the upper end of the seat.

DALE R. WITTKE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 944,098 Mahurin Dec. 2l, 1909 1,374,655 Harroun Apr. 12, 1921 1,586,193 Gove May 25, 1926 1,632,631 Smith June 14, 1927 1,660,749 Haas Feb. 28, 1928 2,068,158 Theisen Jan. 19, 1937 2,222,856 Robertson et al. Nov. 26, 1940 2,230,613 Deady Feb. 4, 1941 2,372,848 Owens Apr. 3, 1945 

